Goo Goo Dolls strive for ‘Better Days’

Since the time of the long-haired, head bangers of the 1980s, the Goo Goo Dolls have been thrilling fans across the globe with their mix of hard and pop rock.

In their first decade of existence, the band focused largely on “hard” rock music, up until their fifth studio album, “A Boy Named Goo” where it was not their head-banging hit “Long Way Down” that raced to the top of the charts, but one of the few power ballads, “Name,” that took the spotlight.

Vocalist and guitarist John Reznick, bassist Robbie Takak and drummer Mike Malinin, have released four new albums in the past 12 years, each with its own distinguishable sound.

Their newest album, “Something for the Rest of Us,” was released last week though they have been touring on the record since the beginning of July.

Though there is no song that matches the group’s 1986 start, the tracks on the album bring to mind the albums that made the band as popular as they are today.

The lead track of the album, “Sweetest Lie,” is reminiscent of “Long Way Down,” but it lacks the former song’s head-banging qualities.

While playing the songs listeners are compelled to stand up and start jumping around as if they were watching the band perform in concert.

The album’s first single, “Home,” became an instant radio hit when it was released in early June, contains classic-style guitar play that the band has been using since their album “Dizzy Up the Girl.”

The album’s title track, “Something for the Rest of Us,” is the lone ballad and one of the few pitfalls of the release. Unfortunately, the song does not seem to fit the rest of the album.

The other downfall of the album is Takak’s attempt to sing lead in “Now I Hear.” Some of the songs that he has recorded on previous albums are phenomenal, such as “Smash” and “January Friend,” but this song plays like a failed attempt at a ballad, especially considering Takak’s raspy voice.

Despite the minor downfalls, though, the album is impressive and should do well in stores.